A huge mass of used wet wipes has formed an 'island' that has changed the course of (the Thames)

[Emrys]

3. The "flushable" wet wipes are very much in the minority.

Most of those currently sold (in the UK, at least) are either entirely plastic or contain enough not to be biodegradeable - estimates are about 90% - and this has been raised in parliament with a view to outlawing them.

I use them, and ensure the ones I buy are biodegradeable, but then we have a septic tank, so I bear the burden of any blockages directly and vividly.

More details about the problem, which has gotten worse during the COVID pandemic, here:

Wet wipes: What makes them so bad for the environment and why are there calls for a ban?
https://www.itv.com/news/2021-11-02/what-makes-wet-wipes-bad-for-the-environment-and-why-are-there-calls-for-a-ban

Why on earth an inherently single-use product needs the inclusion of plastic to make it more durable - indeed, all but indestructable - is beyond me. I cant think of a use where a paper-based version wouldn't do the job.

It's like tea bags - most of them aren't easily compostable because they incorporate a fine mesh of plastic to stop them breaking up in use. In a conventional compost heap, you'll be left with a fine webby residue that just won't break down and has to be removed by hand if you don't want your soil littered with microplastic. They also release nanoplastics into your cup of tea. Only relatively recently have biodegradeable tea bags become available.